Parfait Buddies
by Frozenleaf
Summary: In which the King of Rieze Maxia finds a friend in the consumption of sweet desserts.


**Parfait Buddies**

* * *

The lesser quarters of Trigleph were nowhere as busy as the rest of the city was, a place of quiet amidst the hustle and bustle of Elympios's greatest city, lined with home-run cafes and businesses. It was here that Gaius found himself one fine day, walking along ambling paths that wound to nowhere, following a crowd that meandered slowly along their daily lives.

Yet, he spent no time admiring his surroundings. Striding through the paved streets with purpose, his crimson gaze flicked from one sign to another until it fixed upon one. Within minutes, he had pushed open the door and grimly surveyed his surroundings. A tinkling bell was the only thing that signaled his entrance.

As if on cue, whatever light-hearted conversations that once floated through the air stilled and all gazes turned to him. Several of the shops patrons gaped openly at him, while others frowned as they studied his face (certainly not because they recognized him, surely). The shop keeper himself seemed like the only one unfazed by his entrance, quietly moving to pick up a menu from his side. But before he said anything, a clear voice cut through the air.

"Erston! Over here!"

Well, _almost_ the only one, Gaius thought with the barest of exasperated smiles as he glanced over to the direction of the caller.

Leia was as recognizable as ever in her yellow jacket and cap, her green eyes bright as she waved him over. Her call seemed to break the spell cast over the rest of the shop, and as he made his way towards her, he could hear the conversations around him resume.

"What are we doing here, Leia?" he asked, bemused, as he settled into the seat across from her. "Certainly there are other places you could have chosen if you wished for an interview."

"Too public for you?" the reporter asked.

"No," he replied, taking the time to glance around the room, lined with golden filigree and decorated in a pale shade of pink. "But this is... unusual."

Her smile faltered. "I... guess you could say it's not to your taste?"

Fixing her with his sternest stare, he raised an eyebrow. Leia chuckled nervously then, ducking her head slightly and avoiding his gaze.

There were times when Gaius was very much aware of how she found him slightly intimidating- not that he could blame her. He was King after all, and more than that, they had once fought on opposing sides of the battlefield. It was only natural, he supposed, that she would feel unnerved by him.

Even so, there were times that she had been caught in her own enthusiasm, overstepping her pre-conceived boundaries, and talking to him as eagerly as she would Jude. Much to his amusement, Gaius found that he almost liked it that way- at least, until she started apologizing profusely for hitting him on the head by accident.

But that was neither here nor there, and he was more than willing to use any means necessary to get a straight answer out of the girl in front of him.

He watched his companion's face turn into a deep shade of red as she struggled with whatever it was she wanted to say. Then, spontaneously, she jumped out of her seat and yelled at the direction of the cafe owner: "Two chocolate parfaits please!"

"... Parfait?"

He spoke softly, incredulously. But at the sound of the word, Leia stiffened, ducked her head and made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a 'meep'.

"J-jude said that... you liked parfait," Leia muttered after he employed his staring technique on her once more. "And this store was the best in town and I just... thought..."

"Thought...?" he egged her on, the corners of his lips twitching.

"You know, that we could... bond over parfait, or something." She peered up cautiously at him.

He could only wonder just how it was that Leia once would have charged at him furiously when they were enemies, only to be so easily cowed now that they were allies. She was brave, agile, and hit like a truck- and perhaps she was most vulnerable when it came to dealing with friends, rather than foes.

"Well, he's not wrong," Gaius said lightly after a while, even as he wondered when he possibly might have let slip to Jude that he enjoyed eating the savory sweet desert.

"So you're not... angry or anything right?" she asked cautiously. "That I invited you, out of the blue?"

He arched an eyebrow, again. Leia's thoughts were nothing like the rest of the reporters- no, nothing like the rest of the world. Her motives weren't ulterior- she was unflinchingly honest to a fault- and yet there was so much of her that he simply didn't understand. She worked on a different wavelength- but somehow they both loved several of the very same things.

"Why would I be?"

"Well," and here she lowered her voice, "you... _are _the King. Don't you have responsibilities or... anything else?"

"Not as of this moment," Gaius replied with a thin approximation of a smile. "It would not be fair of me to be angry towards someone who was courteous enough to extend an invitation for parfait."

She blinked. "Can you... not do that?" She gestured to her cheek. "It's scary. Like you're going to kill somebody."

"Why would I kill anyone here?" Gaius smirked.

She puffed out her cheeks and glared at him. It took all of his willpower not to burst out laughing.

"Apologies." The smile was gone, but in spite of that, she relaxed. She truly was an odd one, Gaius thought quietly to himself.

"It's just that- well-" Leia sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Then, fixing him with a clear, determined gaze that seemed far beyond her years, she said, "You know I want to write an article on you."

"As you have often stated." Gaius folded his arms, smiling what he hoped was an amicable expression. He was unsure where this was going, but it sounded more like a negotiation than anything else.

Leia's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized his face, but eventually, she decided not to comment. "I've talked to your sister and read the history books and everything," she continued, "but they never quite seem to... _capture _you." She bit her lip.

"You think that the historians are inaccurate?" Gaius asked.

"Did you really manage to subdue an entire army without even fighting them?" Leia asked suspiciously.

"Yes."

She stared at him for a while. "Fine," she muttered. "So maybe they captured the Incredible King aspect.

"But at the same time, I know you're more than that?" She pursed her lips, her brow furrowed as she tried to think hard about the right words to say. "Like, you like sweet things and you're always there to help me out in battle and you fight for what is right for all of us.

"But you're also human, and you make mistakes too. And I guess I just-" She fixed him with her deep green eyes. "I just want to get to know you better. To do you justice."

"So you invite me out for parfait."

"Yup!" Any apprehension that was on her face had drained away entirely, replaced by a bright, cheerful smile. "I figured- what better way than to talk to you over something we both love?"

Gaius chuckled softly. "It does sound enjoyable," he admitted as the shop keeper approached and slid two chocolate parfaits in front of them.

He didn't know what to make of this. Few people dared to speak to him in such a straightforward manner, and it was a trait that he was glad Leia possessed. It was why he had agreed to her request, after all, all those months ago. But that she would go to such an extent to explain her motives... it was only natural that he should respond in kind.

"I will do my utmost to help you in your endeavor," he said.

"Thank you," she breathed. "I was afraid that you'd find it stupid or immature or-"

He raised a hand. "It is nothing of that sort," he said, a smile tugging on his lips. "You are quite the individual yourself, Leia."

"Huh? Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks? I think?" She chuckled slightly, before picking up her spoon. "Well, let's get started."

The parfait, Gaius thought later on, was truly worthy of its reputation. The chocolate was just the right blend of bitter and sweet, rich and creamy. The cream was soft and savory and the sauce sprung delightful flavors upon his tongue.

But the company, he found out, was just as wonderful. Leia spoke with full candor and enthusiasm, her mind sharp and her questions direct and probing- sometimes uncomfortably so. Yet, perhaps sensing that he wasn't quite willing to fully open up to her yet, she never seemed to push the matters he side-stepped, and instead focused on the simpler things- the small things that he liked; things he sometimes hadn't fully considered until she asked. After all, he mused later, few people usually had the courage to find out his opinion on soda rice.

She almost reminded him of Karla, in a way. But while Karla had the guts and thought to challenge him, Leia was more than that, but... simpler, in a way. She seemed to carry a brightness around with her, colour and life that made him slow down and stop and look around at the world he lived in.

And when the sun began to set and Leia decided she needed to go home for the day, Gaius found himself walking her back to her apartment. They probably made an odd couple- him in his black trench coat and her in her yellow jacket.

"Thank you for today," he said as they moved through the bustling Trigleph streets. "It was an interesting experience."

"Yeah, I guess nobody asks you out for parfait, huh?" Leia asked sympathetically.

"You have," he murmured pointedly.

"I guess so." She trotted alongside him for a while in silence, before speaking up again.

"Hey Gaius, does that make us Parfait Buddies?"

"That's a silly name," he objected. He paused, mulling the thought over in his mind. "But I suppose that yes, it does."

She laughed, pure and happy, and Gaius couldn't help but smile as she walked by his side.

Finally, they reached the small street of apartments where she lived. With a flourish, she turned and waved at him.

"See you some other time then, Parfait Buddy Erston!" she yelled.

It was silly. Child-like. Nothing at all like what people would expect what the King of Rieze Maxia to do.

But he lifted his arm and with full confidence, he replied, "Indeed, my fellow Parfait Buddy!"

Leia stared at him at first, momentarily stunned by his reciprocity. Then she doubled over and laughed, clutching at her sides. Her enthusiasm was catching, and soon Gaius found himself chuckling as well. Eventually their snickers died down, but as Leia wiped the tears away from her eyes and flashed him one, final grin, Gaius knew that he would always remember the sound of their mingled voices echoing through the Trigelph streets, and her face bathed in the light of a warm, setting sun.

And as he walked down the streets, back to where he lived, the world around him seemed that much more brighter; that much more alive.

Truly, he thought, parfait was one of the best things in life to share.


End file.
